Attacks on Bloc could boost PQ in Quebec election: candidate, pollster

Last Updated: Friday, December 5, 2008 | 9:49 AM ET

CBC News

The strong words used by the federal Conservatives to paint a negative image of the Bloc Québécois in recent days could give a boost to the sovereigntist Parti Québécois in Monday's Quebec election, a pollster and an election candidate say.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other members of his party have repeatedly referred to the BQ as "separatists" while slamming a proposed Liberal-NDP coalition, which would be supported by the Bloc Québécois and which Finance Minister Jim Flaherty called a "deal with the devil."

'For sure, people who are sovereigntists will think two times before not going to vote.'— Gilles Aubé, PQ candidate

Christian Bourque, a pollster with Montreal-based Léger Marketing, said if the rhetoric continues and Quebecers start hearing the BQ bashing as Quebec bashing, that could influence the outcome of the provincial election.

"The net impact on our provincial election campaign might be to play in favour of the sovereignty movement and the Parti Québécois," he said, adding that could "create a crisis on a whole other level than a crisis in Parliament."

Bourque said the perception that Quebec was being attacked after the failure of the Meech Lake accord is what led up to the 1995 Quebec sovereignty referendum.

The Liberal-NDP coalition had threatened to topple Harper's minority government with a confidence vote Monday. But that vote will no longer be going ahead after Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean suspended Parliament Thursday until the end of January, at Harper's request.

Gilles Aubé, the Parti Québécois candidate for the riding of Hull, said the recent federal events have woken up Quebecers.

"For sure, people who are sovereigntists will think two times before not going to vote," he said. "So it completely changes the way the campaign goes on now."

Aubé said he thinks his party will see more support as a result.

In the past week, Quebec party leaders have all commented publicly on the federal brouhaha. PQ Leader Pauline Marois said the crisis showed Canada doesn't work as a country and "denies the reality of Quebec." Liberal Leader Jean Charest warned against the risks of a minority government. And Action Démocratique du Québec Leader Mario Dumont criticized the Bloc for supporting Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, saying it showed a lack of judgment.